Former Brown’s Hotel in Catskills burns down

NEW YORK (JTA) — The former Brown’s Hotel, once a popular resort in the Catskill Mountains, has burned down.

The fire, which began at approximately 6 p.m. Saturday, destroyed seven of the nine buildings in what are now the Grandview Palace condominiums in Fallsburg, N.Y. About 100 people were evacuated; no injuries were reported.

Earlier this year, the town of Fallsburg had condemned the complex for fire safety and other building code violations. An investigation into the cause of the fire reportedly is underway.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Brown’s was among the more popular Borscht Belt resorts with Grossinger’s and the Concord. Many comedians, including Jerry Lewis, performed at Brown’s. After business declined in the 1980s, the resort was sold and converted into condos.